Andrea Shaffer, Anti-Marxist Warrior@Andreafreedom76
Venezuelan Drug Kingpin "El Gordo" Sentenced to Life Plus 30 Years in Major U.S. Cocaine Trafficking Case!
Today, a federal judge in Manhattan sentenced Venezuelan drug trafficker Carlos Orense Azocar, known as “El Gordo,” to life in prison plus an additional 30 years. This follows his December 2023 conviction in the Southern District of New York for conspiring to import massive quantities of cocaine into the United States and multiple weapons offenses.
U.S. authorities described Orense as one of the most prolific cocaine traffickers ever prosecuted in the courthouse, responsible for smuggling “hundreds of tons” of cocaine over more than two decades. His operation, active since around 2003, moved nearly **one ton of cocaine weekly (up to 40 tons annually) through routes from Colombia and Venezuela to Central America, the Caribbean, and ultimately the U.S., generating tens of millions in illicit profits.
The network relied on “cattle ranches” (fincas) in Venezuela's interior as secure storage and shipment hubs, featuring clandestine airstrips, underground concealment, and armed protection.
Cocaine was transported via small aircraft and high-speed boats. Orense secured protection through bribes to senior Venezuelan officials( including military generals, National Guard officers, and intelligence figures, and partnerships with FARC guerrillas for supply and transit.
Key evidence included co-conspirator testimony detailing cash payments to officials (e.g., millions delivered to a National Guard general in 2008-2009 to allow a 1,000-kg shipment) and money laundering through a U.S.-based company tied to a Venezuelan state enterprise.
Prosecutors linked him to the Cartel de los Soles, an alleged drug network operated by high-ranking Venezuelan regime and military figures.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton called him “one of the most prolific cocaine traffickers ever sentenced in this courthouse,” while DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole described him as a “criminal kingpin who built an empire on deception, fraud, and bribery.”
Orense was arrested in Italy in May 2021 and extradited to the U.S. in June 2022. He did not testify at trial, and his defense's challenges to witness credibility were rejected by the jury.
The severe sentence highlights ongoing U.S. efforts to target major traffickers and their alleged political connections in Venezuela.
